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Is Riot getting too greedy?!

TheEdgeOfDestiny·1/25/2017, 4:04:18 PM·6 votes·1,456 views
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We all understand that Riot is a company which pretty much makes money of League of Legends. Which is normal. Game is getting better (because they can afford better specialists), more people play it (because they can promote the game and entertain us by supporting pro-players and championships).

But one thing kinda bothers me. Here and there I see signs that Riot's high management doesn't consider community interests. I don't say "care". I understand: why should they care? I am concerned because it looks like high management is separated from community really far. Which may result in decisions that will affect overall game health and may produce stagnation.

I wouldn't bother if not for recent Blood Moon announcement. Why - I will explain later.

Some things I noticed that seem greedy:

  1. Buffing champions (or not nerfing them) that are going to receive some special skin in the future. Prime example is Ashe and Project: Ashe. Before skin release Ashe received a couple of buffs. Even some youtubers noticed it. For example Phy said smth like "Ashe is receiving buffs. Again. What are you thinking Riot? She is really strong right now. I have an assumption they are going to release a new Ashe skin soon." Another example is Jinx and Star Guardian Jinx. Here is more complicated example. Zed received buff after buff at the beginning of season. Such actions attracted attention to him. For one reason he was appearing in patch notes consistently. For another. Think. Will you or will you not remember a champion that was punishing your team whole game.

  2. Special events crafting Despite introducing unique interactions - special event crafting material offer very little (or almost none) benefit over common hextech chests. Project crafting for example took advantage of the fact that drop rates are hidden. You could combine 3 Augment Cache Fragments into Augment Cache. You got two fragments for free the third one you could get as a random drop from an Augment Cache. I seen so many people not getting the third fragment while spending 10-20$ on new Augment Caches. Btw. There was a precedent where a company was obligated to disclose drop rates by the government. And there is a reason for that. Recent Lunar Revel crafting chest cost. Despite the fact it offers you a bonus - real value is far smaller then it looks. Moreover it uses gemstones (which is another story) to get people more interested. It would be ok if Lunar Revel chests costed same amount as normal ones but in reality you get more but you pay more. Real value is not: "OMG I'm gonna get a gemstone". Real value is: "I will spend more money to get more value".

  3. Raw statistics over creating environment We finally got to the thing that started this post. Riot create lore. Riot tie champions to lore to get people interested in champions they play. To get people attached. Lore is important... until money come in. Pretty much everyone is aware of upcoming Blood Moons skin by now. Pretty much everyone is aware about Diana being related to Moon. And everyone expected Blood Moon Diana skin come up eventually. And it appeared. It appeared as a wingman for Jhin skin. For a skin of a champions that is played far more then Diana and which may accrue far bigger amount of money then Diana skin. So Jhin's skin receives all the love which is seen in every detail. Even promo features Jhin thematic. While Diana gets only generic VFX update. You can argue with me not having taste but what about promo teaser that featured Jhin's weapon.

End of story.

P.S. Yes I play Diana. Mostly to climb in low elo. But the real reason - I find her thematic and lore really interesting. And it's really hurting to see that it's being sacrificed to statistics.

P.P.S.: I don't have actual statistics but I'm pretty confident in what I say. Also I do understand that everything is more complicated. And even take into account possibly that Diana wouldn't receive a Blood Moon skin. But better no skin then just generic skin.

UPDATE Updated the post - removed reference to challenger skins due to clarification with challenger skins and MSI. Added promo poster that featured Jhin's weapon to clarify what I meant when said "wingman skins".

29 Comments

HexaDecimel1/25/2017, 4:32:55 PM6 votes

So, Riot.......a company who's only purpose is to make money and pay its employees, is greedy?

The game and everything required to climb to the highest level of competition is all available for free. Despite what people may claim it is not a pay to win system. All it takes is time.

Riot spends so much time working to improve the game, adding new maps, reworking champions, updating splash art, making balance changes. Changes that are typically made for free. They offer season rewards for positive behaviour, and end of season rewards. Just last year as a thank you to players they gave a free skin to players, and if you didn't own the champion you got that too. They offer discounts every week on different champions and skins. For special events they offer specially selected discounts based on you play style preference. They spend lots of time creating special events with different types of gameplay. All done for free. And they even went so far as to offer Hextech crafting which allows players to acquire keys and boxes so that they can unlock champions and skins without having to use RP or IP.

Is Riot greedy? No.

They have made an entertaining game that is accessible to as many people as possible. They made it in a way that you can climb to challenger without spending a single dollar. They are constantly offering free or discounted content. Whatever they do to make money is perfectly fine and legitimate considering what they offer.

Colgate Gator1/25/2017, 4:54:58 PM2 votes

How fucking dare they make money off their game? The fucking never.

Jesus fucking christ.

Bonus points because because you're complaining about the RNG alternative of actually buying the skin you want, and because some skins are time limited...And the kicker is that this post is just a slightly veiled rant about Diana not getting a legendary skin.

midnight oil241/25/2017, 4:10:07 PM2 votes

I thought that the only change Jinx got around Star guardian was a nerf to her chompers? Or am I wrong about that?

And how do they not value the competitive aspect of this? one of the recent harrowings (can't remember which) was set aside because it overlapped with worlds. That shows that they value the competitive aspect. Or are you now going to say that this proves they don't value the casuals?

Linna Excel1/26/2017, 6:25:07 AM1 votes

Special events crafting

Yes, I think that this and the RNG only skins are anti-consumer.

Angry Monster1/26/2017, 9:59:31 AM1 votes

this is a prefect example of when EU should stay on the EU boards.

0 real points

Wild speculations

Admits to not having data and then uses personal opinion

Dude we have enough NA players that post like this. Fill your trash on your region boards.

I Stealth I1/26/2017, 12:03:51 PM1 votes

They 'used' Diana to promote Blood Moon Jhin? It's more of the opposite really considering the teaser was just Jhin's 'Whisper'. And if you are right, they technically also used TF and Talon to promote Jhin as well, but the skins are so well done!

GigaPube1/25/2017, 4:28:31 PM1 votes

it hurts to read proper spelling and grammar with....ill say "incomplete vocabulary/jargon?"

i just think dianas entire skin line isnt well thought out. she doesnt need so much moon skins, blood moon, lunar goddess, her original skin. this is also her 2nd red skin which definitely isnt even as exciting as infernal. so now she has 3 silver and purple skins, a silver, purple and red skin and a red skin....kind of limiting her range there considering a tree has a skin about cats that i would guess is probably 1 of the best and/or most popular skins in the game

Cocho1/25/2017, 7:31:12 PM1 votes

2,3,4

I don't even agree with.

2 I liked the project hextech special craft thing. Its the only one I cared to buy. Chests are like 195 rp, and a project chest was 295 rp, came with a skin shard, skin/champion chard, and then the rng drop augment thing. It was already better than a normal chest.

3 Theres tons of skins that are only for a time, challenger skins aren't special. Its like saying riot hates Christmas because I can only buy slay belle katarina in this time.

4 Just look at camille's lore.

They didn't choose to give diana a legendary skin, get over it lol

.1. That's going to happen eventually. Coincidence or not